Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s tale of redemption, aided by the humble Bob Cratchit and some ghostly visitors, is as comfortable as a warm sweater on a cold December day. But by the time Christmas lights begin to twinkle, it seems everybody can recite “A Christmas Carol” from memory.

But what about the author? Charles Dickens usually takes a back seat to Jacob Marley and Tiny Tim at this time of year. Bennett Gale of Lake Shastina, a Siskiyou County theatre instructor and artistic director for the New Frontier Theatre Company, wants to put the Victorian powerhouse writer back in the spotlight with “Scrooge: An Evening with Charles Dickens.”

Gale adapted the one-man show from “A Christmas Carol” and debuted it in 2014 for 700 kids who attended. “It was very well received and people wanted it to be a yearly tradition,” Gale said.

He's continued to refine the show, adding little nuances here and there.

“Structurally, the show is the same and I think that’s part of the appeal. People look forward to a tradition,” Gale said.

That tradition returns to Old City Hall for performances on Friday and Saturday. With support from a Shasta County Arts Council grant, Gale will also perform “Scrooge” at five Shasta County schools.

Gale takes on the role of Dickens as the narrator and then switches back and forth, introducing 21 characters.

“It’s a lot of fun," he said. "It’s something I’m happy to bring to the area. It’s following in the tradition of Dickens himself, who was an amateur actor who loved to perform his works in front of an audience."

The main characters, Scrooge in particular, are based on real people, Gale said. “I’ll get a few questions about the historical context, where did these characters come from? It allows me to get into Dickens’s lifestyle. For instance, he was an insomniac and walked 20 miles a night. He really wanted to be an actor.”

Audiences are often surprised to learn that Dickens was a pretty funny guy, Gale said. “People familiar with Dickens from seeing the movies (based on his novels) are not aware of his humor. He was very funny, even if he wrote about things he was passionate about, like social justice and inhumane caste systems. People are surprised, when seeing it performed in person, with the humor that was in there. It’s very dry, very witty.”

A New York native who called Siskiyou County home for the past nine years, Bennett worked and performed in Southern California before he moved to the North State with his wife. As the popularity of his “Scrooge” performance continues to grow, Gale said he’s considering taking it to a national level next year. “We shall see,” he said.